Atlanta is in Fortune Mag’s ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ Issue

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says he wakes up every morning thinking, “How do I make sure that the city of Atlanta is the most important city in the Southeast?” Well, his efforts are being rewarded.

Atlanta will be featured prominently in a special section of Fortune magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” issue, which hits newsstands this week. The section details why Atlanta is a great place to do business for both Fortune 500 companies and innovative start-ups.

The Atlanta section focuses on companies and organizations with operations in metropolitan Atlanta, and includes interviews with business leaders such as Muhtar Kent, CEO of Coca-Cola; Michael D. Casey, CEO of Carter’s; and Carol Tome, Chief Financial Officer of The Home Depot, as well as Mayor Reed and Brian McGowan, CEO of Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development agency.

These corporate and civic leaders discuss how the business climate and talent pool in Atlanta have helped them prosper and enhanced the quality of life in the city. The 22-page section includes more than 13 pages of copy about Atlanta, including that the city is:

• Ranked No. 3 in number of Fortune 500 companies• Considered among the best in the nation for the lowest cost of doing business• Among the nation’s top three distribution cities, with 40 percent of North American manufacturing and distribution centers within 500 miles of the city• Home to 57 colleges and universities, which enroll more than 250,000 students annually, and seven technical colleges, which enroll 60,000 students each year• Home to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, No. 1 in the world for passenger volume with 95 million passengers in 2012.

“When you look at what Atlanta is doing in terms of business attraction, I think we’re maintaining our position as the leading city in the Southeast,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. “This special section in Fortune tells Atlanta’s business story well, and I appreciate the business leaders who continue to support and invest in our city, its neighborhoods and its residents.”